A significant starting place for preaching ethically involves developing a clear sense of one’s own experiential, theological, contextual, and philosophical perspectives. It is in the interaction of these perspectives within the mind and spirit of the preacher that specific sermons…
Read MoreAsk Alban: Breaking Out: Questions for the “Stuck” Congregation
Q: Our Congregation feels stuck. How do we get unstuck? A: It’s fairly common for congregational leaders and members to sometimes conclude that their congregation is “stuck.” When this happens, the underlying belief may be that something other than what…
Read MoreAsk Alban: Breaking Out: Questions for the "Stuck" Congregation
Q: Our Congregation feels stuck. How do we get unstuck? A: It’s fairly common for congregational leaders and members to sometimes conclude that their congregation is “stuck.” When this happens, the underlying belief may be that something other than what…
Read MoreCENTERview: The Congregation as Author: Sharing Stories, Listening Deeply, and Finding New Creative Vision
Once upon a time… The Center for Congregations encourages faith communities to reflect on once upon a time—that is, we listen to and encourage stories. Sharing stories builds commitment to the congregation’s mission. Stories testify to the rhythm of a…
Read MoreTell Me a Story: Four Books Explore What Business Leaders Have Discovered About the Power of Narrative
Tell me a story.” That is one of the first sentences I can remember saying. And I said it a lot—especially to my mother. I grew up in an oral culture. Stories were the way in which my family conveyed…
Read MoreDiscipleship in Preaching: Connecting Our Story to God’s Story
Dr. Anthony Campolo, a teacher and preacher, was in the waiting room in a small airport in Haiti preparing to go back to the United States when a Haitian woman came up to him and said, “Take my baby!” He…
Read MoreLiturgy and Life: Connecting Eucharistic Prayer to Parishioners’ Stories
The first worship service in an Episcopal church I ever attended was at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio. It was July 4, 1982. The hymns, lessons, sermon, and prayers tended to the special day by focusing on the…
Read MoreSeeing Afresh: How One Woman’s Work Became a Congregation’s Ministry
At Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, we understand the power of story—so much so that we have set up intentional structures for discovering and bringing meaningful stories to the congregation. This structure consists of a group of three people…
Read MoreThe Leading Edge: Life-Giving Narrative: A Journey from Breakdown to Breakthrough
In The Languarge of God (Free Press, 2006), Francis S. Collins, the leader of the Human Genome Project, provides a passing account about the narrative failure of a pastor. Invited to speak at an annual men’s dinner at a “highly…
Read MoreDiscipleship in Preaching: Connecting Our Story to God's Story
Dr. Anthony Campolo, a teacher and preacher, was in the waiting room in a small airport in Haiti preparing to go back to the United States when a Haitian woman came up to him and said, “Take my baby!” He…
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